Stars In Her Eyes
by actressen
Summary: Three lucky Starfleet students, including Joanna McCoy, win a year-long internship aboard the Enterprise. What adventures lay in store? Featuring Kirk's quirks, Bones' hypos, Scotty's inventions, and a handsome Russian navigator. *Chekov/Joanna*
1. And We'll Look at the Stars Together

**AN: **Welcome to my new fanfiction, and my first foray into the Star Trek fandom. I've fallen in love with the rare gem known as the Chekov/Joanna pairing. I've decided to do my part and write a fanfic. So if you like Chekov/Joanna, or Chekov and _any _female, don't just sit there and lament at the limited selection- do something! Write a Chekov/OC or Chekov/Joanna fanfiction- whether it be a drabble, short story, novella, novel, or epic-length series! I promise I'll be there to support you all the way, if you want.

And there's the end of my rant. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Star Trek is not mine. Never will be. Thanks for reminding me.

* * *

><p><strong>Stars In Her Eyes<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter One: <strong>And We'll Look at the Stars Together_

* * *

><p><em>"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."<br>_**-Edgar Allan Poe**

* * *

><p>The grass smelt sweet, and it tickled her back through her t-shirt. There was a soft wind blowing, and she could barely hear any traffic. When she closed her eyes, she could imagine she was in the past, when crickets chirps would fill the air and the stars would burn brightly against the black backdrop of the night sky, like she read about in her books.<p>

Her _real _books- books in hard binding with real, paper pages and black ink. Not the ebooks that everyone read now. Her mother called them trash, but she didn't care much. There was something special about reading an actual book, about turning the page, the feel of the paper under her fingers. Old, yellowed pages that had been seen and read by many eyes, held by many hands, stained with tears and raindrops, left torn and dog-eared. And loved.

But those books were kind of like the stars.

You didn't see them anymore.

She knew the stars were there, somewhere past the smog, beyond the city lights. And somewhere in those stars was her father.

Most nights when she couldn't sleep she'd end up out here, in her mother's tiny backyard, staring up at the night sky. Sometimes she'd speak to the heavens quietly, imagining her father could hear her. She knew it was silly- her father was on the USS Enterprise, probably busy giving people hypos and being grumpy. But it was a comforting thought.

"I miss you, daddy."

A slight smile worked its way onto her face.

"I'm sure momma didn't tell you, but I wanna join Starfleet. I already sent in my application. Maybe in a couple years I'll be able to join you up there, daddy."

She sighed longingly.

"Are the stars pretty out there? I've seen pictures, but it's not the same."

There was a pause as she thought of what to say.

"I graduated last week, daddy. Joanna McCoy is now a high school graduate. I got a diploma and everythin'. Isn't that somethin'? I can't even believe it's over."

Her smile faded.

"Momma didn't come to my graduation. She had a date with Joe. Or maybe it was Steve? I can't remember any more- there are so many of 'em. Even though momma and me aren't real close, I would have liked her to be there."

She sniffled a bit.

"There was no one to clap for me, daddy. I walked across that stage and got my diploma and my hand shake, but there was no one there to clap. I mean, some people did –pity, I guess- but it wasn't the same. I know it's not your fault. I'm know you'd be there if you could. I'm sure you're proud of me, wherever you are."

A tear slid down her cheek.

"I hope I get into Starfleet, daddy. Then I won't be lonely anymore. And we can look at the stars together."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Eighteen Months Later<strong>_

"Well, class. I must say this is a _fabulous _opportunity," Professor Shimerda examined the her PADD, quickly reading over the announcement before presenting it to her class. "A chance to join the crew of the prestigious USS Enterprise for a year long mission."

The broke out in excited whispers.

"Class material would be covered through the PADD network, and maintaining a passing grade in all subj is a requirement."

Joanna barely heard what the woman was saying. _Daddy_, she thought, _daddy, this is it! _She felt happier than she had in a long time.

"However, there are only three spots available. Applications will be available at the end of class. They will be due next Monday. The lucky three will be declared on Friday, and beam aboard the Enterprise the following Monday. Now, back to carbon-based life forms… "

Joanna's heart sunk to the bottom on her stomach. There was no way she'd be able to get one of those three spots. She had an overwhelming urge to cry. _Don't be silly_, she thought, _anyway, maybe I can get one of those spots. God knows how much I want it…_

* * *

><p>"I'm going to miss you, Joanna."<p>

"I'll miss you too, Alice."

Joanna couldn't believe she had gotten it. When she got the letter, she broke down crying. Not tears of grief, but tears of joy, of relief. _I got it, daddy, _she thought, _this time next week I'll be with you on the Enterprise._

She'd miss her roommate, Alice, but they'd keep in touch. Her duffel bag swung over one shoulder, she pulled Alice into a one-armed hug.

"I'll be back soon, Alice."

Alice smirked.

"You'd better be."

Joanna looked over the room that had been her home for a year and a half for one last time. She had one foot out the door when Alice called her back.

"Wait! Wait! I've got something for you!"

Joanna stopped and turned around. Alice was going through one of her drawers, clothes flying everywhere as she dug through it. "I'm _sure _I put it here! Just hang on for a sec."

Joanna smiled at her friend's stereotypical display of disorganization. _Some things never change_.

"Aha! Here you go!" Alice presented her gift with a flourish. It was a photo of the two of them in a plain metal frame. Joanna ran her fingers over the smooth glass covering the picture.

"I know how much you like old stuff, so I figured you'd like this better than a digital picture."

Joanna opened her duffel and placed the photo on top.

"Thanks, Alice."

"No prob. Don't forget to tell me about any hot ensigns!"

Joanna rolled her eyes.

"Alice!"

"What? Just because you plan on being an old spinster doesn't mean _I _do," Alice looked up at Joanna with the head-cocked-to-the-left-half-smirk-look-of-doom. _Oh no._ "Anyway, maybe you'll meet someone up there who'll change your mind." She topped it off with a wink.

Joanna spluttered, unable to come up with a response. Alice shook her head as if to say _oh how I pity you_. "Jo, instead of standing there looking like a fish, you should probably get going."

Joanna closed her mouth and looked at her watch, eyes widening. "_Shit!_". She took off running.

Alice sighed, noticing Joanna's duffel lying by the doorway. "Oh, Joanna…". She picked it up, just in time to see Joanna turn and run right back to her.

"You left this."

Joanna grabbed her duffel gratefully.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now go!" Alice shoved Joanna out the door good-naturedly. Joanna turned around to get one last look before breaking into a jog. Alice leaned against the doorway, watching Joanna leave. "Go get 'em, girl."


	2. The Enterprise

**AN: **As always, the Chekov/Joanna pairing deserves more love, so, to show your support, please read, review, and enjoy! (and maybe even write a Chekov/Joanna fic of your own...). Also, if anyone is interested in collaborating with me on this fic, feel free to PM me.

**Disclaimer**: Star Trek isn't mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Enterprise<strong>

* * *

><p>Joanna didn't believe in love. She believed in lust, affection, and friendship. But not love. Being a zoology major, she understood that there were two types of animals: those that mated for life, and those that mated for a season. She had long held the believe that humans were of the second variety, but tried to act like they were of the first. Sometimes, seeing an old couple holding hands, smiling and laughing and truly enjoying each other's company, even after a lifetime, she thinks differently. <em>Maybe, just maybe…<em>

And then she remembers her mother. She remembers her friend from high school, Sienna, crying hysterically after she caught her boyfriend cheating on her.

She remembers that there is no such thing as love.

But sometimes she wishes there was.

* * *

><p>Stepping onto the transporter pad, Joanna mentally readied herself. Sure, she talked to her dad over the vid screen on a weekly basis, but this was the first time she would be seeing him in person in almost six years. <em>Don't be silly<em>, Joanna, _you have nothing to worry about_. In her mind she knew this, but emotions weren't logical.

Unless you were Vulcan, of course.

The transporter was powered up, and the countdown began. Nerves set in- she had never been transported before.

Three…

Joanna glanced over at her two companions, Yuheng "Derek" Tu, a student in his third year of Chinese descent, and William Albertson, a meek boy of sixteen years who had skipped a couple grades to enter the Academy at fifteen.

Two…

Derek stood, straight as a board, his hands clasped together firmly behind his back, his eyes focused straight ahead.

William fidgeted slightly and looked over at Joanna, their eyes meeting briefly. She could tell he was scared.

One…

Joanna felt like her heart had skipped a beat as the room began to fade into complete whiteness. She began to worry. _What if something's wrong? Will we be stuck in this limbo state forever? Will we die? Will we-_

Figures began to materialize out of the vast whiteness. Blurry outlines became focused, colored, and clarified, slowly gaining dimension.

One figure grew more familiar as it became clearer. Short brown hair peppered with grey, brown eyes, and a perpetual lovable scowl that she knew so well.

Finally, she was _there_. Half a dozen faces smiled back at her. But there was only one that she cared about at that moment.

She ran from the teleportation pad, leaping into her father's waiting arms. She burrowed her head into his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of antiseptic and aftershave.

It was like being a little girl again. Her daddy was here. The monsters couldn't touch her, because her daddy was here.

"I missed you, daddy."

Her words were muffled by his jacket, but he didn't need to hear them to know what she said.

"I know, Jojo," he whispered into her hair, "I missed you too."

Letting go of him, she finally looked around the room. William and Derek remained on the teleportation pad, unsure of what to do or where to go. A man sat at the control desk, reclining leisurely. Of the remaining four, there was only one she could recognize- the (in)famous Jim Kirk, complete with the trademark smirk. It reminded Joanna of Alice's.

There were also two men she didn't know, one of Asian decent, and one who looked at least part Vulcan, as well as a woman. Joanna was struck by how pretty she was. She looked graceful and intelligent, her dark brown eyes nurturing, her slicked back hair silky and smooth.

Captain Kirk spoke first.

"Welcome to the USS Enterprise. I assume you all know me, but let me introduce myself anyway. _Captain _Jim Kirk, at your service. I know this is boring as anything, but it's a necessary evil. First off, you will be known on this ship as "Interns". As this is a new rank, uniforms have been made especially for you. They are waiting for you in your quarters. But I'll get back to that later. Each of the three of you will follow different crew members based off of your majors. Mr. Albertson, you'll be with our navigator Pavel Chekov. He's currently on duty. You'll meet him on the bridge. Mr. Tu, you'll be working with Mr. Scott," Jim pointed at aforementioned Engineer, who greeted the three Interns with a brief wave of the hand.

"And, Ms. McCoy, as we do not have a zoologist onboard the Enterprise, you'll be splitting your time between Commander Spock, Lieutenant Sulu, Lieutenant Uhura, and your old man."

Bones glared at Jim, whose smirk grew into a full-blown grin.

"Tu and Albertson, you'll be sharing quarters. Any crew member would be more than happy to guide you to your room. McCoy, you'll be sharing quarters with Lieutenant Uhura."

Joanna smiled at her new roommate. She'd miss Alice, but Uhura seemed nice enough.

"The rest of the day is yours to explore the ship and get to know myself and the rest of the crew. Be prepared to report for duty at 0800 tomorrow."

The three interns nodded to show their understanding

"Let's get this show on the road!"

Kirk and Spock left for the Bridge, taking William with them. Derek began to talk with Sulu.

"As much as I hate to go, Jo, there's things I need to address down in Medical Bay." Her father looked at her with pleading eyes, his words sincere.

"I understand, daddy." She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. Bones smiled at her gratefully before rushing off.

Joanna watched him leave. She then turned to Uhura, the only one left in the room who was unoccupied. But with nothing to say, the room remained silent except for chatter between Derek and Sulu in the background.

Uhura broke the silence. "Why don't I show you our quarters?"

"Sure!" Joanna exclaimed, cringing. She had been attempting to hide her disappointment, and ended up sounding overly cheery. _Dear lord, I really need acting lessons, _she thought, shaking her head slightly at her pathetic inability to hide her feelings.

"Right this way."

* * *

><p>Joanna watched quietly as Uhura punched the six digit code into the pad with practiced ease.<p>

"The code is 472116," Uhura informed her as the door slid open.

Joanna quickly went through the doorway, interested to see where she'd be spending a good portion of her time for the next year.

The main room had polished wood flooring and basic, cream-colored walls. A loveseat sat at an angle to the right of the room, a glass coffee table in front of it. The left half of the room lead into a hallway.

"The first door on the left leads to the kitchenette, the second to my bedroom. On the right side, the first is your room, the second the bathroom."

"Thanks, Uhura."

Uhura nodded. "Unless you need something, I should probably report back to the Bridge."

"No, it's fine. Go on."

"It was nice meeting you, Joanna."

She left, and Joanna could hear her high-heeled leather boots click and clank against the floor as she walked.

Joanna pressed the button next to the first door on the right. The door slid open, revealing a small room containing the standard bedroom furniture: a bed, a bedside table, a wardrobe, and a mirror. Remembering Kirk's words about the uniforms, she opened the wardrobe doors to find six identical moss green variations on the standard Starfleet fare. Excited, she quickly changed into the uniform, her fingers fumbling over the buttons. Shimmying into the pencil skirt, she examined herself in the mirror. _Oh my, _she thought, _I look so official_. She giggled, feeling a bit like a little girl trying on her mother's dress suits. Not that her mother had any dress suits, but still.

Giddy with excitement, she fell back onto her bed with a high-pitched squeal.

_This is gonna be one heck of a year._


	3. The Captain Who Catnaps

**AN: **I know this chapter is on the short side, but I got to a good stopping point and just couldn't figure out how to expand the chapter without making it sound awkward.

Also, I'd be more than happy to take a beta for this story, if anyone is interested (you could even co-author, if you'd like).

And, as always, the Chekov/Joanna pairing deserves more love, so, to show your support, please read, review, and enjoy! (and maybe even write a Chekov/Joanna fic of your own...).

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not own Star Trek.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Captain who Catnaps and Flirts with Walls<strong>

* * *

><p>Joanna was on sensory overload. She shifted in her makeshift seat on the far side of the bridge, watching the commotion unfold. With all the shouting, scrambling, and (somewhat worrying) banging that went on, it was a wonder that the Enterprise ever went anywhere.<p>

Joanna had no idea where to look or what to listen to. It seemed she was the only one who had that issue, as all the crew members were focusing on their assigned tasks, and even Derek and William had their jobs to do. Currently, William was working with the Navigator, whom Joanna had yet to be introduced to. From her vantage point, she could only see a head of curly auburn hair sitting next to William. From her slight knowledge of the responsibilities of the Navigator, she assumed he was putting in the authorization code.

Interested to find out more about the unidentified navigator, she strained to hear his conversation with William. Instead, she only heard the automated female voice of the device, saying "access denied".

The navigator abruptly stood up, muttering angrily in another language -Russian, she would guess- allowing her to see his face for the first time. Her jaw drops slightly. Not only does he seem to be incredibly young (especially considering his rank- lieutenant, based off of his uniform), but he was amazingly good-looking.

Joanna quickly scanned the room, looking for Uhura, knowing that she would most likely be the only one who could understand what he was saying. Finally locating Uhura amongst the crowd, she saw that she was already looking at the navigator, eyebrows raised in amusement. In fact, ever since the Navigator's outburst, the Bridge had been growing increasingly quiet as everyone stopped and turned to look at him.

Noticing this, he quickly silenced himself. Kirk quirked one of his ever expressive eyebrows. "Four years and you're still having issues with the authorization code, Lieutenant?"

"It has been better, sir. In fact, it's been seven months, two weeks, and five days since the last time it has done this." Joanna was struck by his strong accent.

Kirk nodded.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, acting as if he had just been struck by divine inspiration, "New guy!". He gestured at William.

"William," he identified himself nervously for the enthusiastic captain.

"That's it! I knew it was one of those old names! Why don't you try giving it a shot?".

William looked a bit like a deer caught in the headlights, but repeated the authorization code. The screen flashed green, and the Navigator let out an exasperated sigh.

"Alright," Kirk said, turning his chair slightly to the left. "Sulu, did you remember the parking brake?"

Sulu glared at the captain. "Yes," he replied, before mumbling under his breath, "do it one goddamn time and they hold it against you for the rest of your life."

"Let's get this show on the road!"

Joanna gripped the arms of her seat nervously as the Enterprise went warp speed.

* * *

><p>Once the mission was well underway, Joanna found the Enterprise to be a much calmer place. By no means was it peaceful, but it was calmer. Unsure of what to do, she approached Kirk, who was nodding off in his captain's chair.<p>

"Umm… Captain?"

"Hmm?"

"Should I be… doing something?"

"Oh, yeah, that. Go bother Uhura."

"Okay, I guess…" Joanna was interrupted by a snore. Sighing, she looked down at Kirk.

"Some captain you are," she muttered, going over to Uhura.

"Err… is there anything I can help you with?"

Uhura looked up and removed her headset.

"Not right now, really, no. Are you looking for something to do?"

Joanna nodded.

"Well," Uhura said, putting her headset down, "I don't really have much to do until we get much closer to the planet, so I guess I could join you for a walk around the ship."

"Sounds great!"

Joanna cringed. _Still way too cheery_, she thought, _and if Starfleet doesn't work out, _never _become an actress_.

Uhura gave her a more in depth tour, showing her the location of some of the other living quarters and some miscellaneous rooms, such as Sulu's greenhouse.

"So," Uhura asked her as they strolled down the corridors, "how much do you know about this mission?"

Joanna furrowed her brow, trying to remember what Professor Shimerda had said. "Planetary Exploration, right?"

Uhura nodded. "We are being sent to explore Sector 22036. There are rumors of a Class M located there."

"Class M? Doesn't that mean suitable for human life?"

"Humanoid would probably be the better term, but yes. The Federation is always looking for planets suitable for colonization. If the rumors prove true, the planet in sector 22036 could become the first colonized planet outside of the Milky Way galaxy."

They walked in silence for a little while.

"What's it like on the Enterprise? I mean," Joanna began to clarify, realizing how vague her question was, "there's just so many _guys_. How did you ever survive as the only female Bridge member?"

Uhura smiled slightly. "It wasn't too bad. I guess I missed having female company every once in a while, but we really do have a great crew. Even Kirk, once you get past his enormous ego and constant flirtations."

"Does he always do that?"

"What, flirt?"

Joanna nodded.

Uhura chuckled. "Honey, lets put it this way: once, when he got drunk, he started flirting with the _wall_."

Joanna put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggling.

"There's rarely a dull day on the Enterprise, I can tell you that. Between Kirk's misadventures, Scotty's inventions, and the general craziness, it's a wonder we ever get anything done."

Joanna wanted to ask about the Russian Navigator, but was too nervous to do so. She sighed. _Way to go, Joanna_, she silently reprimanded herself, the voice in her head sounding shockingly like Alice, _at this rate, you'll only know his first name by the time the year is out_.


	4. Names and Ryetalyn

**AN: **I'm not going to be one of those authors who refuses to update unless I get reviews, or ask for a certain number of reviews, but I would like _one _review- because last chapter got none. Zip. Zilch. Zero. I don't think asking for one review is too much. I write mainly for myself, but I would like to know what you, the readers, think of this story. Anyway, here's the latest chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not own Star Trek.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Names and Ryetalyn<strong>

* * *

><p>Her opportunity to learn more about the Russian Navigator appeared sooner than she expected. She was talking with William in the mess hall during lunch, and he was telling her about all the things he had been doing.<p>

"Chekov told me this story about how during his first assignment on the Enterprise the captain was kidnapped by Romulans from the future! And-"

"Chekov is the name of the Navigator?" When Joanna thought about it, that name did sound familiar.

William nodded. "Pavel Chekov. You didn't know that?"

"I think I've heard it once or twice, but so much has been going on…" Joanna trailed off, knowing that William understood where she was going with that statement.

_Well_, she thought, _at least I have a name. _

"Anyway, Chekov was saying that three months after that, he was promoted to Lieutenant, making him the youngest Lieutenant _ever_."

"Wait, how old is he?"

William paused, obviously trying to think of the answer.

"Twenty… two? I think?"

Joanna nodded absentmindedly. That would make him three years older than her.

"Why?" William continued.

"Oh… err…" Joanna tried to think of a good excuse. _Why did she want to know anyway?_ "Just… curious, you know?"

William seemed a bit skeptical, but didn't push the issue. Joanna let out a sigh of relief. _Pavel Chekov, huh? Not a bad name…_

* * *

><p>It wasn't supposed to be anything serious.<p>

Another Federation ship had called in and asked for assistance from the Enterprise in collecting some Ryetalyn they had found in a natural deposit on a moon they would soon be passing. Kirk, feeling the perfect combination of bored and generous, decided to help the other ship out.

"So," Kirk announced, "they said they needed four volunteers. Any takers?"

Joanna, who had just been finishing up a conversation with Spock about Vulcan ecology (or what used to be Vulcan ecology), was immediately interested.

"I'll go," she said, raising her hand, "I mean, I don't really have much else to do…" Because of her field, she wouldn't have much to do until they reached their destination and began sample collection.

"Bones will kill me…"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Kirk paused for a second, considering her response. "Okay then. Three more."

"I will accompany her, Captain," Spock added, keeping his usual passive expression. "I would suggest sending the intern from Engineering and Sulu with us. If we are to remain stationary, we do not have much need for a Pilot onboard."

"Spock's logic is sound, as usual. What do you say, Sulu?"

"I'm all for it," Sulu responded, removing his headset.

"Someone contact Engineering, tell them we need that Intern boy."

"Already done, Captain."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Uhura."

"Well then, Spock, Sulu, mini Bones-"

Joanna glared at Kirk.

"Ah look!" Kirk said gleefully, "She even inherited Bones' glare!"

Joanna narrowed her eyes further.

"Okay then! Where was I? Oh, yes… you three can head down to the Teleportation pad. They should be able to Transport you straight to the mining location."

They all nodded before heading out.

In the short walk to the Transportation room, Joanna found herself becoming increasingly excited. This would be her first time visiting another planet. She had finally fulfilled her dream of seeing the stars up-close, and now she would be fulfilling her desire to do something else she had always wanted to do.

Stepping onto her circle on the Pad, she watched as Sulu, Spock, and Derek, arriving from Engineering, took their places. She turned to look at the brunette woman sitting at the control panel. Joanna had never seen her before, but had heard from Uhura that Scotty only worked in the Teleportation Room on special occasions. Also, according to Uhura, the Enterprise's Teleportation Chief did her job well, so Joanna wasn't nervous.

Joanna put in an earpiece and combadge (to maintain contact with the Enterprise, as the Intern uniforms did not have one), handed to her by another member of the Teleportation Room crew. She watched Derek do the same, as Spock and Sulu already had both devices.

"So you should be beaming directly on-site. There should be Federation members waiting to greet you upon arrival," the brunette informed them as the Transporter Pad powered up.

Teleportation was just as she remembered it. Everything faded to white and then, as if she had just blinked, she was on a different planet. She could feel the wind in her face and the rocky terrain under her feet through her boots. They were three quarters of the way up an extremely tall mountain- taller than any on Earth, she was sure, in the middle of what seemed to be a mountainside quarry

As promised, a sandy blond-haired man greeted them upon arrival. "Welcome. We appreciate your assistance. If we could have two of you, preferably the more experienced ones, helping us melt down some ore. The other two can go over to Johnson," he pointed to a short man with black hair several yards away, and help him weigh and package the refined metal."

They all nodded. "Sulu and I shall go with this man. Derek and Joanna, report to Johnson."

Derek and Joanna saluted Spock before heading over. Joanna was slightly disappointed with the mundane nature of their task, but quickly got into a rhythm, striking up idle conversation with Derek and the other Federation members working with them.

They worked that was for almost an hour.

But, of course, they were from the Enterprise.

Which meant things could _never _go quite that smoothly.

They were first alerted by a far off shriek, followed by a bellowed "Look out!". Joanna quickly dropped what she was doing, curious and somewhat alarmed. And then she was blown off her feet.

Her breath left her as she was slammed against the ground. Dust filled the air, making her eyes water. As the air cleared, Joanna looked around for a familiar face. Spotting Derek, she called over to him. "Derek! What just happened?"

He looked just as bewildered as she felt. "I don't know!".

Pausing, he looked back over to her, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

His eyes widened and Joanna began to fill with dread.

"Joanna, you've got to move!"

She scrambled to her feet, but it was too late. She heard the ground giving way beneath her before she felt it.

And she wasn't sure how it happened, but one second she was beginning to fall, and the next, she was hanging in midair, tens of thousands of feet above the ground. When she looked up, she saw Derek leaning over the edge of the cliff, only remaining steady by obviously digging his feet in the ground, keeping a tight grip on her wrist.

"It's okay, help is coming," he told her.

But she wasn't listening. The ledge was still unstable, and she heard a familiar creaking noise.

"Derek," she said, her voice shaking slightly, "Listen to me. You gotta let go."

She could tell he was conflicted.

He was not stupid- he knew the ledge was unstable. But he also knew that no one could survive that fall.

Joanna closed her eyes, saying her final goodbyes while trying to ignore her pounding heart.

"Goddamn it, Derek! Be logical! It's either me or both of us! Let go!"

They both heard the audible sound of the ledge cracking.

Far behind them, Sulu was frantically speaking with someone aboard the Enterprise. "Beam us up! Beam us up!"

Derek gave her one last look.

"I'm sorry," he said.

And he let go, quickly scrambling away from the edge.

As she began to fall, Joanna's mind echoed Derek's words.

_I'm sorry._


	5. Everything Will Be Alright

**AN: **Hello? *taps microphone nervously* Is anybody out there? It's been over a year since I updated this story (yikes), but better late than never, right? I know it's a little short, but I figured you all would rather have a short-ish chapter now and a longer one in, say, a week or so than wait a week or so for one long chapter. But let me know if I'm wrong. :)

Now, as we all know there have been considerable changes to the STXI canon since June of last year, i.e. the beautiful piece of cinema known as _Star Trek Into Darkness _which, of course, obliterates the timeline for this fic. Instead of trying to work it out in canon, we're going to boldly go were no one's gone before, okay? The whole John Harrison/Khan debacle hasn't happened yet and possibly won't ever in this universe. I'm still debating whether or not to add him in.

Also, I am still looking for a **beta **or a **co-author**, so please PM me/let me know in a review if you are at all interested.

As always, please read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

><p>The minute they heard Sulu's voice, the entire Bridge froze. Sulu was many things, but easily frightened was <em>not <em>one of them. While none of the crew members found the situation pleasant, no one felt quite as much dread as Pavel Chekov. Because he had heard the exact same fear that Sulu's voice held once before – when he and Kirk where in free fall.

Which, of course, brought to mind his one and only failure: the death of Spock's mother. He knew that no one blamed him for the tragedy—that is, no one but himself. If he had just beamed them up a _second _earlier…

But he couldn't think about that now. He didn't have the time. He just jumped from his post without explanation and ran as fast as he could to the transporter room. No excited shouting this time.

Without explaining, he pulled the technician from her chair, fingers scrambling over the screen. He could apologize later. Just as he managed to get a primary lock on all three members of the Enterprise crew when he heard the telltale creaking over the transmitter, the very same that haunted his nightmares. But he didn't have to make the same mistake twice. He wouldn't.

_"I'm sorry."_

The apology came through perfectly clear, and by the time the GPS tracker picked up Derek's movements, the numbers were already scrambling through Chekov's head, calculating the gravitational acceleration of this nameless planet based off of the data that he had and some educated estimations he could only pray were close enough. He had just finished compensating for the gravitational pull when the ledge gave way, and was able to lock on to her immediately. The other three could wait, their positions were stable enough at the moment.

Surprisingly, no screams or cries for help came over the transmitter. It was entirely possible that her combadge had gotten lost in the chaos, but Chekov swore he could hear her breathing, terrified and ragged. Whether or not she could hear him, he felt the need to comfort her as he counted down the seconds to transport initiation in his head.

"Joanna? It's Lieutenant Chekov. We're beaming you up right now, okay? Everything will be alright."

By the time he finished speaking, the familiar swirling lights had appeared on the transportation pad. Instead of celebrating, or even getting a proper look at the girl he had just saved, Chekov immediately turned his focus to the other three crew members waiting to be beamed aboard.

And even after that, of course, he had a very miffed transport technician to deal with.

Nonetheless, though, he felt a giant weight lifted off his shoulders, lingering doubts that had clung to him ever since that accident nearly five years ago finally slipping away.

* * *

><p><em>"Joanna? It's Lieutenant Chekov."<em>

When she first heard his voice, she was certain it was a hallucination. A very pleasant hallucination, but a hallucination nonetheless.

_"We're beaming you up right now, okay?"_

But then he continued to speak, and she started to hope, forcing herself to open her eyes. Bright light was starting to cloud her vision, blocking everything else from sight in a fashion that was quickly becoming familiar.

_"Everything will be alright_._"_

By the last word, Joanna could hear him, not from the earpiece, but from across the room, as the comfortingly solid base of the transporter materialized beneath her. The landing was rather hard, but she was too flooded with relief and adrenaline and various other things to take much notice of it.

In fact, her emotions were too scrambled to take much notice of anything. Joanna hadn't moved from where she had landed, and she would have hardly been able to if she tried, as her knees wouldn't have been able to hold her shaking legs. She held a hand curiously in front of her face. It shook so terribly, like a leaf in the wind, that she couldn't even focus on it properly. She couldn't focus on anything properly. Why wasn't anything working right?

She was dimly aware that Derek, Spock, and Sulu had been beamed back and that Kirk and Uhura had just entered the room.

Joanna had never been more thankful that her father was a doctor. The sickbay was located at the very heart of the ship, well out of the way and ignorant of the drama that always plagued the more trafficked parts of this ship, including her current situation. Because Joanna knew that if her father had been here he would most likely have a coronary and die, then resuscitate himself so he could scold her into the next century. Of course, it was inevitable that her father would find out, and therefore being scolded into the next century was also an inevitability, but at least this way they could skip the whole heart attack bit.

Kirk let out an audible sigh of relief, seeing Joanna alive, in one piece, and mostly unharmed. Bones would have killed him if she had been injured in any way. Then again, she did just nearly fall to her death and, even to his untrained eye, appeared to be (understandably) in a state of shock, so Bones was probably going to kill him anyway.

"Come on kiddo, let's get you to sickbay," Kirk sighed, helping Joanna to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist for support. However, once she tried to take a step her knees gave way and she lurched forward, nearly taking Kirk with her.

In fact, she would have taken Kirk with her had Chekov not suddenly appeared, steadying them both.

_When did he get over here? _Joanna wondered fuzzily. Everything was becoming dimmer, not clearer, and it confused her. Her tongue felt as if it were made of lead. Her throat was closing, the walls swelling. She couldn't breathe. No, she was going to be sick. But she couldn't breathe. How was it possible to feel both at once?

She finally realized, with some shame, that she was being carried.

Nothing had actually happened, so why was she reacting this way? She didn't want to cause such a fuss, it was embarrassing. She tried to say as much, but her mouth wasn't listening to her. Nor was the rest of her body. Her vision was darkening. Was she even breathing? She gulped in a mouthful of air, only realizing that she had been holding her breath when her lungs all but screamed in relief. Breathing was good. Remember to breathe.

The more she fought against it, the worse it got, so she just let her head rest against the shoulder of whoever was carrying her. _Chekov_, some part of her mind supplied. Great. Of all the people that had to see her like this, it had to be him. _He must think me such a child_, Joanna lamented to herself, trying to focus of the feel of the fabric of his shirt against her cheek. He smelled nice, like autumn—pine needles and dried leaves, with a hint of some sweet spice. Cinnamon? Cloves? Maybe it was something from off-planet that she had never even smelled before. Autumn had always been her favorite season, a sharp edge to the wind but not painfully cold, like winter, and the last warm days scattered about were touched by something special, unlike all the days that melted together in the burning heat of summer. Autumn was comforting—_he _was comforting.

Joanna blushed, imagining his reaction if he could hear her thoughts and very thankful that he couldn't.

She was slowly beginning to feel clearer, if only just, and though she knew she probably could have walked the rest of the way—assisted, at least—she really didn't want to. Joanna doubted she would ever find an excuse to be this close to him again, so she focused on enjoying it while it lasted. The throbbing in her head had died to a dull roar, like waves on a beach, and if she listened very closely, she could hear his heart beat. Or maybe it was her own? She couldn't be sure. Soothed by the rhythm, she could feel her world beginning to darken around the edges again, though for an entirely different reason this time.

She was so very tired…


End file.
